A massage from God

No, not a message. A massage. Yes, you read correctly. No, I'm not crazy. Let me explain. While many of you 9 to 5ers were 9 to 5ing it, I took a walk in God's country.

At the end of the 18 kilometre valley of the Drezanka River is her sacred source, Crni Vrilo. Mother Nature had practically washed, ripped, tumbled, and crushed most of the path to the source, but a bit of free climbing and scree hopping and we found ourselves in our own little mecca.

I laid down on a large rock just a few metres from the 20 metre waterfall that rumbles beneath a 600 metre face of sheer limestone. The rock was warm. The breeze generated from the pounding water cool. The droplets of water on my body refreshing. The perfect blue sky inspirational. The aroma of Herzegovina's wild spring herbs healing. The rock face above me humbling. I closed my eyes and drifted far off.

My journey took me to our ancient ancestors. I imagined the lives of the indigenous Illyrian tribes that freely roamed these precious lands for ages. Our pagan forefathers and mothers worshiped the rock i was laying on, the sun glaring in my face, the sky i was staring at, the water running past me. They did not see themselves as being separate from these godly things, but rather an integral part of them. And they, therefore, treated the great gifts of Mother Nature as one of their own.

Then i opened my eyes and struggled to focus. My mind and spirit had merged with my surroundings. It was a momentary end of separation. I saw the harsh karst of Herzegovina giving way to the gentle but steady water. A tree bend itself to reach the light blocked by a pertruding cliff. The stone calmly slip aside to permit water to pass it by. A vine lend its leaves to lizards and insects. The sand courteously sharing its space with a patch of wild thyme.

It all just worked. They lived and let live. There were no frets. No qualms. It was, is, and always will be harmonious.

The warm rock continued to beam energy into my back and my legs. When i came to i felt as if i had been in a wellness centre for a month. A miraculous massage....care of, GOD, Pacha Mama, Allah, Mother Nature, however you'd like to call her.

With my new found energy I hopped, skipped, and jumped to the ledge above the waterfall. The rush of the water was deafening, yet peaceful. It was obvious that very few hikers or climbers had ever been there...but after a few minutes, i realized it was more than i thought. In wonderful Bosnian fashion i found the trademark of the Balkan male in the middle of God's country, perched on a water source in one of the most complicated and tricky places in Herzegovina - a ROSTILJ. Yes, even here, in Mother Nature's wellness centre, i found a metal rostilj. I smiled. Took a photo. And made my way back to the car.

What a heavenly massage i had today. I highly recommend it to everyone.

peace